1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for assembling and storing various goods according to their destinations, or for assembling and storing goods according to destinations, items and sizes thereof, also to an apparatus thereof and further to a method for controlling the apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for assembling and storing goods utilizing a carousel, also to an apparatus thereof and further to a method for controlling the apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art of assembling and storing goods, there have been known those disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 58-139902, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-55005, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-263505, etc.
The prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Early Laid-open Publications will be described briefly.
Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 58-139902 discloses a carousel comprising a carry-in and carry-out working section disposed to a linear movement passageway of the carousel and comprising an area including the entire length of goods storing section rows in a direction perpendicular to the turning direction of the carousel and also including a plurality of goods storing section rows in the turning direction, and carry-in and carry-out working object indicating means disposed at a position corresponding to each goods storing section located within the carry-in and carry-out working section.
Similarly, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-55005 discloses an itemizing equipment which comprises a plurality of goods storing device comprising a stationary shelf disposed at an accumulation conveyor side, and an indicating device for indicating the number of goods which are to be taken into a storing device on a conveyor from each goods storing device or into each goods storing device from the storing container.
Likewise, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-263505 discloses an automatic goods storing system which comprises a horizontal circulating carousel provided with a plurality of goods storing ports, and a terminal device disposed at each goods storing port, so that an adjustment is performed according to each carry-in and carry-out request from each terminal device.
Furthermore, in the prior art relating to a carousel equipped with carry-in and carry-out means, there have been known those which are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 59-212304, etc. This Publication discloses a carousel which comprises a movable roller conveyor which is vertically reciprocally movable along a supporting post, a side pusher for pushing out goods placed on the movable roller conveyor onto a corresponding tray located at a generally same level, and a conveyor for carrying the goods onto the movable conveyor located at a predetermined height.
However, each of the afore-mentioned prior art has the following problems.
That is, in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 58-139902, because of a provision of plurality of goods storing section rows, the each unit rotating amount is arranged so that goods can be easily carried in and out without frequently turning the carousel by a worker. However, when goods are to be carried in (supply), a certain item of goods and a certain quantity of goods are carried in, according to a list, to goods storing sections corresponding to a working object indicating lamp provided to each goods storing section. Therefore, a worker must perform carry-in work with respect to the goods which have been carried there by a truck, etc. into a goods storing portion while confirming that the goods storing portion is the correct storing place. However, even if a worker pays his utmost attention in carry-in work, sometimes there occur human errors in which goods are located in a wrong goods storing portion. Further, since the carry-in work and the carry-out work cannot be performed simultaneously, in other words, since the carry-in work (supplement of goods) cannot be performed during the carry-out work (assembling and storing work of goods), all goods must be carried in before the assembling and storing work is started when a large quantity of goods are to be assembled and stored. As a result, the carousel must be made large.
In Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-55005, goods are assembled and stored in accordance with an indicating device which indicates the number of goods which are to be taken into a storing container from a goods storing apparatus. However, there is no description at all about the goods that are supplied to a goods storing apparatus nor about the goods that are supplied during the assembling and storing work relative to the goods. Although such an arrangement is made as the goods are assembled and stored in accordance with an indicating device which indicates the number of goods which are to be taken into the goods storing apparatus from the storing container, in this case, the goods which are to be assembled and stored, are already stored in the goods storing apparatus. And, there is no description at all about storing means for storing goods which are to be assembled and stored.
In Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-263505 and Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 59-212304, there is no description nor suggestion at all about the goods stored on a carousel which are to be assembled and stored.
In a carousel described in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-263505, no matter whether the preceding carry-in or carry-out request has been effected, the next carry-in or carry-out request can be input and the carry-in and/or carry-out work can be performed one after another in accordance with the carry-in or carry-out request already input. However, since only one goods storing body can be stopped at a goods carry-in and carry-out port on each storing stage, the carry-in work or carry-out work cannot be performed until the next goods storing body is positioned at the goods carry-in and carry-out port.
The present invention has been accomplished in order to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in the prior art.